Vivek Ramaswamy

Why they say you should vote for them

The candidate's own case to voters, summarized from their campaign and public statements.

• Says he wants to "revive the American Dream in Ohio" by bringing down costs, cutting red tape and government waste, expanding energy supply, lowering taxes, and improving education.[4],[1]
• Says his goal is to make Ohio "the most affordable, opportunity-rich state in America."[16]
• Says his metric for success as governor would be the number of people who move into Ohio versus out of it.[2]
• Says he would cut government spending and regulation and attract industries with low-cost energy.[1]
• Describes himself as "an entrepreneur, not a politician" and says he chose Ohio Senate President Rob McColley as a "governing partner."[14]

Background

• Named co-lead of the planned Department of Government Efficiency (withdrew Jan. 20, 2025, before running for governor), Trump transition / administration · 2024–2025[4],[3]
• Candidate, Republican presidential primary, 2024 presidential election · 2023–2024[4]
• Co-founder, Strive Asset Management · 2022–2023[4]
• Executive chairman, Roivant Sciences · 2021–2023[4]
• Founder and CEO, Roivant Sciences (biotech company) · 2014–2021[4]
• Partner, QVT Financial LP · 2007–2014[4]
• Author, Books including "Woke, Inc." (2021) and "Truths: The Future of America First" (2024) · 2021–2024[3],[4]

Education

• B.A., Biology, Harvard University (2007)[4]
• J.D., Yale Law School (2013)[4]

Where they stand

• Taxes
  Supports phasing out the state income tax, starting with capital gains taxes, and argues that population and economic growth would make up the lost revenue. His campaign has promoted a gas tax relief plan.[1],[6],[16]
• Housing
  Proposes rolling property taxes back, in aggregate, to pre-pandemic levels during his first two-year budget and then capping future growth. Earlier in the campaign he said property taxes should eventually fall to zero; he no longer proposes full elimination.[5],[6],[15]
• Education
  Supports universal school choice, merit-based pay for teachers and principals, a police officer in every school, and standards focused on 3rd-grade literacy, 8th-grade numeracy and 12th-grade civics. Supports expanding career-technical education and apprenticeships.[1],[2],[15]
• Energy & Environment
  Supports expanding natural gas and nuclear energy and faster permitting for energy projects, and has supported state leasing of public land, including state parks, for oil and gas drilling. Proposes data center rules requiring new facilities to generate their own power, pay full property taxes without abatements, meet air and water standards, and favor former industrial sites over farmland; says he would halt approval of new data centers on day one until that law takes effect.[1],[5],[10],[11],[15]
• Health Care
  Says he would reattach work requirements to Medicaid and welfare and take a more aggressive approach to health care fraud.[2],[3],[11]
• Abortion
  Describes himself as "unapologetically pro-life." His published campaign plan does not include a specific abortion proposal.[9],[1]
• Immigration
  Says Ohio cities should not operate as "sanctuary cities" and has objected to Cincinnati's sanctuary designation.[8]
• Public Safety
  Supports stricter bail and sentencing for repeat violent offenders and more authority for local police to arrest violent offenders. Says he will "always fight to defend" gun owners' rights and has said he would be the most pro-gun governor in Ohio history. Has warned against an "authoritarian surveillance state" in connection with Flock license-plate cameras.[1],[12],[13],[8]

Voting record

Vivek Ramaswamy has not held an office with a recorded voting record. See Background and Where they stand.

In their words